Tuesday, July 31, 2012

This post is the first in a series starring my nail polish collection. I love finding new colors and, over the years, have watched my collection grow. I enjoy seeing other bloggers post their own variety of polishes and thought it would be fun to share mine with all of you. I'll give you insight on the quality of the polishes for each post. I'll also post some fun ways to wear your colors from time to time.

Before I start posting colors, I want to share with you The Dream Team. A good base and top coat are a necessity for any manicure. These amazing products help my polish last for about a week. This is great for someone like me who doesn't always have time to change polishes every few days.

Before painting my nails I apply Chip Skip by OPI first. This clear polish dries quickly and helps keep polish from chipping. Next I apply Revlon's Colorstay Base Coat. This polish looks white in the bottle but applies to the nails with only a slight tint of white. Be sure to apply as thin of a coat as possible. If the coat is too thick it will create tiny bubbles on your nails. My only complaint is it takes a little time to dry (around 3 minutes). However, this is the star to keeping nail polish from budging. Another blogger referred to this product as a base coat that cements your polish to your nails. I have to agree. Lower quality polishes that usually chip in a few days stay longer when I use this product.

Of course we can't forget about the top coat, also from Revlon's Colorstay collection. This helps to protect your polish for days and keeps it looking shiny and fresh.

With these three products I am ready to apply any shade of polish to my nails and know it will stay beautiful until I am ready to take it off.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

I love anything coral for the summer and this fun crochet top is no exception. I'm also very excited about these shorts from Lee. They're not too short and they help suck in any extra tummy a lot of us try to hide.

Also, I'm am aware that my legs are still very pale. I wear a lot of pants in the summer and don't spend a lot of time sun bathing. My arms and face darken faster and my legs never seem to catch up. If any of you can recommend a good sunless tanner that won't streak or make me look orange I, and my legs, would appreciate it. Until then I will embrace my pastiness.

What I'm Wearing:

Crochet top, Shorts, Watch, Earrings: JCPenney (is anyone really surprised? you all should know how obsessed I am with that store by now)

Thursday, July 26, 2012

It
was the first time I’d seen painted lines on pavement in three years. The long
stretch of road that led me off the mountain beckoned me to a life I once
cherished. A mist hung in the air that morning, smudging the horizon, like the
sweep of an eraser over pencil lines. The curves in the road ahead were just as
uncertain as my future back in Atlanta.

They
didn’t know I was coming home. By this point I was the one who went crazy and
disappeared into the mountains. But just as quickly as I had decided to come, I
knew when it was time to go home.

My
explanation for leaving didn’t make much sense to anyone in my family. I was
working at a prominent law firm with the potential to advance. I was single,
but enjoyed the dating scene on a regular basis. I had a chic apartment in the
center of the city.

But
one morning, as I looked out at the crowds crossing the street and the cars in
queue for the parking garage, a gear twisted in my mind and I had to get out.
Something was missing in the city, something I knew I could find outside of the
noisy streets and light polluted sky. Within 24 hours my bags were packed and I
started to drive toward the mountains of West Virginia. I had a cousin who
lived out that way, but I struggled to remember where, pushing back into the
crevices of my mind to imagine the addresses on the old letters we wrote to
each other as kids. I supposed she was my inspiration for coming. All her
letters about country life never left my memories, even after twenty years.

It
took some time before I finally found her. Knocking on the door of a
single-wide trailer led me to Maurry, a grey-bearded old man with a thick
mountain accent. I had to ask him to repeat himself several times before he
finally said “Com’on,” and drove me to my cousin’s farm.

Luann’s
southern charm and hospitality, passed down from her mama, had only grown
stronger since she was a child. I exchanged my business suit for a pair of
dirty-kneed jeans, helping my extended family run their farm and enjoying the
solace of the hills.

I
never much picked up an accent, well, maybe just a little, but they taught me
things about living I could have never understood in the city. They taught me
how to slow down and enjoy life at a relaxed pace. Though work on the farm was
hard and back breaking, no one ever spent time worrying about things they knew
the good Lord would take care of. They taught me that no matter what you are
doing in life it has to be satisfying work, whether that meant working in the
mines or answering phone calls all day. What was important is that you came
home happy about how you had spent your day. Now that I was returning, I knew I
had to share what I had learned, letting people know there is more than the
life they think is enough.

It
was difficult to leave, and I had no idea what to expect or how I would feel
when the skyscrapers and traffic jams came into view. Would I tuck tail and run
back to the mountains?

I
took a deep breath when I saw my first traffic light. It clicked from red to
green.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Just a casual day lounging around the house and running a few errands. I love these green skinny jeans; they are so comfortable.

I recently took a break from my internship at the newspaper to spend time visiting with family and friends and celebrate my recent birthday. I'm so happy I was able to see some friends I had not seen in a long time and had a blast laughing are remembering old times.

Tomorrow I'm back to work (even though it's not really work to me). I can't wait! :)